Page 9

I narrow my eyes, place my elbows on the table, and lean forward, tilting my head. “What the hell did you do?”

“What? Nothing. I didn’t do anything, Alaska. Nothing. I didn’t do a thing.”

I roll my eyes while crossing my arms, then lean back in my chair. “You’ve always been a shit liar, Soren. You always sound so guilty when trying to act innocent.” I don’t stop staring at him.

Eventually, he’ll begin to squirm under my scrutiny.

There he goes, wiggling in his chair like a worm.

“It isn’t Earl who is coming because I knew you would say that, so I asked Earl if another pilot could take his place for this supply run.”

Earl is the only human that I know of in three hundred miles who knows what we are. Not only does he deliver goods for the ranch, but he brings us blood. Human blood. It isn’t often that he can, which is why we usually feed from the animals in the forest. This trip though, he’s supposed to bring a few months’ supply.

All blood has a shelf life at hospitals and blood banks. Earl brings us the bags they are about to throw out. It doesn’t matter if it expires. We will drink it.

And we don’t want to feed on the locals. We don’t feel right about that. Earl does us a solid. Of course, he doesn’t do it out of the kindness of his heart.

Human blood for a vial of our own blood for himself. We don’t ask what he uses it for. That’s private information as far as I’m concerned. It’s a fair trade, and I’m happy to do it.

“Who the fuck is the new pilot then? Why are you playing matchmaker?” I growl so loud, there’s no way it didn’t wake Glenn. “You realize this transport brings our food, right?” I snarl. “Does he know what we are, then?” My claws grow and dig into the wood of the table, panic setting in as my mind races, imagining everyone finding out and hunting us down.

He shakes his head. “No, no. Nothing like that. He doesn’t need to know that. He will just be dropping off the supplies and leaving. That’s it. I promise.”

I scoff, retracting my claws and sipping my coffee. “You promise.” This time it’s me who shakes my head, wondering if I should believe him.

“I do!” he protests, seeming hurt that I don’t trust him.

If there’s one person in my nearly two hundred years who I trust, it’s Soren. That doesn’t mean there won’t be times when I’m not worried or skeptical. It doesn’t have anything to do with him and everything to do with strangers.

I don’t like strangers. I don’t like change. It’s why I’m not good at being a vampire. It’s best if I live the rest of my six months right here on my ranch, surrounded by Soren and Glenn.

An unknown pilot who has never been here before, who I have never met, is an issue. I don’t like…people.

People make my fangs descend, and not in an ‘I’m thirsty’ kind of way.

I stand and head to the sink to wash out my mug. When I’m done, I head to the door, snagging my black cowboy hat and coat.

“You better hope nothing bad happens, Soren. To the human pilot, the blood, or the supplies.”

“What could happen? It will be like every other delivery. A simple exchange.”

I grunt and close the door behind me, breathing in the fresh Alaskan air. There’s a chill that sweeps down my throat and into my lungs, a slight pain etching through my chest when I inhale.

My lungs are dying.

I just wish I would already.

“You worry too much, Lyra.” I close the supply door to the skywagon, giving my sister a big smile that shows my dimples.

She can never be too mad at me when I show them.

Lyra lifts her sunglasses to the top of her head and crosses her arms. “I don’t know, Leo. You don’t think it’s weird that Earl switched with you last minute? Something is going on. I don’t trust him.”

“You don’t trust anyone.”

I grab her by the arms and soften my grin, hoping she sees that I’m not worried at all. “I know you don’t. And I love that no matter what, you worry about me, but I know what I’m doing, Lyra. Stay on the radio if you want. I’ll be sending updates on my location as I fly. Then, you can call our parents to let them know I’m okay. I’m sure you’ve gotten Mom all worked up.”

“I didn’t have to worry her. She’s worried for her only son flying a plane for the first time!”